In March 2020 Ireland was about to go into lockdown and universities, colleges and schools were forced to shift their education delivery to a mostly unfamiliar online format. For the next year and a half students could only attend virtual classes, access study materials from afar and collaborate on projects from a distance.
We asked Orla Bannon, director of careers at Trinity College Dublin, about how the pandemic may have equipped students with new skills and how they might make themselves more employable.
Did attending college during a pandemic equip students with new skills?
There are many skills which graduates acquired or further developed during the pandemic that are invaluable in the current jobs market and will transfer directly to the workplace. Students and graduates should not only be able to articulate these but should also be able to apply them in new and different scenarios.
First and foremost, an ability to cope with uncertainty, stress and setbacks is useful when dealing with potential rejection when applying for jobs and during times of organisational change.
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As students switched to online learning during the pandemic, this challenged their capacity to keep focused and motivated, so this ability to self-motivate and adapt to change will stand to them in their job search and in future roles.
Digital agility is now also a key feature of the workplace. Many students had to develop new skills in digital learning and communication and collaboration using platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom. This shows how they adapted quickly to new technologies and new ways of working and learning, so employers will value this flexibility and willingness to learn.
How important are soft skills?
It is critical for graduates to be able to articulate and evidence their development of soft skills, which are essentially linked to how they interact with other people. Soft skills — such as empathy, emotional intelligence, kindness, mindfulness, adaptability, integrity, optimism and resilience — have become crucial success factors in the workplace.
The Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum identified the top skills which employers see as rising in importance. [These include] critical thinking and analysis, problem-solving and self-management (active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility).
It is important for students and graduates to spend time reflecting on soft skills acquired through their degree programme and other activities (part-time work, involvement with sports/societies or volunteering, for example), and to be able to articulate these at the job application and interview stage.
How can graduates make themselves more employable?
Make sure your CV is up to date and tailor it to each job application that you make. Be able to clearly articulate how your experience as a student during the pandemic helped you to develop key skills and how you stayed motivated during that time.
Many graduates may not have had the opportunity to get in-person work experience over the past couple of years, so consider taking on a short-term/contract role that will allow you to experience working with a team, and that will allow you to experience both in-person and online working so you can determine what style of working best suits you. Most university careers fairs are back on campus this year and are open to recent graduates, so we’d encourage graduates to attend and experience the buzz of chatting to potential employers in person.
Look at where you might have a skills/knowledge gap and consider doing some further study to enable you to pursue the career path that you want. The Government provides funding for additional courses in areas of identified skills needed, which are open to recent graduates. See springboardcourses.ie for further information. You might also want to consider short learning courses such as Trinity micro-credentials.
Building your professional network is also important and can be more natural to do in-person in the workplace. Establishing in-person connections initially will help you to work more effectively online subsequently.
How important is it for graduates to take stock?
It can be helpful to view your first role after university as a stepping stone to future roles and opportunities. Reflection is key, and graduates should allow time for this at natural points in the year, perhaps at the end of each month, or at a performance review with their line manager. Such reflection helps us to make decisions on whether to learn and grow in our current role or to make a change. Key questions could be:
· Am I happy with my current role? What key skills am I developing?
· Do I want to change my career direction or do I want a new job in a similar sector/role?
· What’s essential to me in a job and what can I compromise on?
· How much responsibility do I want to have at work?
· How much new learning do I want to do?
· What work-life balance do I want?
What’s important is that you learn from every decision you make to inform your next career steps. Most of us will have multiple jobs over our careers, and such reflection and action helps to keep us energised and effective in our working lives.
It’s important for graduates to realise that everyone has been through a tough couple of years and employers have an appreciation of this. Recent graduates can continue to avail of supports from their university careers service, so I’d advise you to reach out to them for help if needed. It is important to stay positive, stay focused and be prepared for new opportunities when they arise.
